Microsoft has recently started selling Amazon’s Echo devices in its retail stores. Both devices are available online and in Microsoft Stores in the US. Microsoft has enter into a partnership with Amazon to integrate Alexa and Cortana, and previewing this feature earlier this year.
Microsoft has been increasingly focusing on its Amazon partnership and Alexa integration, all while Cortana has fallen behind its main rivals this year. The Xbox One now supports Alexa, and Amazon has even launched its own Alexa Windows 10 app to bring the digital assistant to all PCs. Cortana now seems to be in a strange spot at Microsoft, with the software maker increasingly pushing it towards more business-focused areas like chat bots rather than its original consumer focused launch.
Now, Cortana was first launched on Windows Phone more than four years ago before it found a fresh home as part of the core search functionality in Windows 10. Microsoft has now been experimenting with further distancing Cortana from the Windows 10 search experience, and the 19H1 update due early next year will include some changes.
